Amanda Shelsher is a Western Australian ceramic artist with a career spanning over 30 years. She has been making art since as child and has been a professional artist for her entire adult life. Her formative years were spent growing up at the beach and later years in the hills of Perth. The natural environment has always been a huge influence in her works as well as her daily observations of her two children and the world around them. She has a B.A Visual Arts from Curtin University, Perth and also a Graduate Diploma of Education from Curtin University, Western Australia.

Her works examine the fragility of life and her concern for the environment. She hopes to create works that open our eyes to the inherent beauty around us.  This is reinforced through her children’s unique observations of nature and to recreate her children’s sense of wonder and joy in the ordinary to become extraordinary. Exhibiting internationally and nationally in numerous invitational solo and group exhibitions Shelsher’s works have been featured in many prestigious collections such as  the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

The Gold Coast City Art Gallery in Queensland.

The Royal Perth Hospital in Perth

La Trobe University in Melbourne

Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Sydney

The National Australia Bank, Victoria

Rockhampton Art Gallery, Queensland

St John of God Hospital, Murdoch Perth

City of Perth Art Collection, Perth

City of Wanneroo ,Perth

City of Belmont and private collectors include Billy Connolly.

Her works have featured for over four years at SOFA Chicago, USA. Included at Collect at V&A Museum, London. She was the invited guest artist at the 18th Fubon Art Fair, Taipei and invited to exhibit and attend the exhibition at the Scion Art Space, Los Angeles with Perth artist Stormie Mills. 

She has exhibited in over 60 Invitational Group exhibitions, with Gallery East, North Fremantle, Beaver Galleries in Canberra, Margaret River Gallery in WA. The Manly Art Gallery and Museum,  Sydney. The Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Skepsi @Montsalvat, Sculpture by the Sea at Cottesloe. In the State of the West, Ceramic Survey, Perth and with Raglan Gallery  in Sydney and Melody Smith Gallery in Perth. 

She was a finalist in the Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award, the Alice Craft Acquisition; the Ergon Energy CQ Ceramic Award; the Prometheus Visual Arts Award; as well as the Sidney Myer Fund International Ceramics Award and the Mino International Ceramic Award semi finalist in Japan.

She has held over 20 solo shows throughout Australia with Gallery East, Margaret River Galleries,Beaver Galleries ACT. Linton and Kay WA, Raglan Gallery NSW, Skepsi Gallery, Melbourne, 19Karen Gallery, Gold Coast and Lasting Impressions Gallery, QLD and Greenhill Galleries, SA.

She was commissioned by the City of South Perth to produce three large bronze public art works: based on swan feathers situated on the South Perth esplanade near the Mends St Jetty titled “Resonance” These pay homage to the history of this site that was once overwhelmed by hundreds of Swans and abundant bird life.

Amanda has been a selected artist working with many primary schools working with the students to create unique public art works. In 2015 she was the Artist in Residence for Term 3 with 520 students from Churchlands Primary school for their 50th anniversary sculpture garden. Working with students from Pre Primary to Year 6, Amanda and her students created over 1000 ceramic works including life size teachers to native animals, birds and large decorative totems.

In 2017 she worked over a Term with the 320 students from Dalkeith Primary school.  These students with the guidance of Shelsher produced 100’s of ceramic sculptures based on local flora and fauna to produce unique ceramic artworks that are permanently displayed in their school gardens and now important features of the school.

Her pieces can be viewed in numerous publications and recently included in the 2014 Lark 500 Figures in Clay.

Her ceramic sculptures continue to inspire younger generations and Shelsher is often working in high schools and primary schools teaching a younger generation the importance of art, making and thinking and living creatively.

EMAIL : amandashelsher@westnet.com.au

WEB: www.amandashelsher.com

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